The youngest person ever to be nominated for an Oscar
The Oscars are one of the most anticipated events in Hollywood, airing every year to millions of film fans eager to see who will be crowned the best of the best. Since its inception in 1929, the Academy Awards has honoured thousands of talented people, from actors and directors to sound designers and cinematographers. To win a gold statuette is seen as the ultimate achievement, with many classifying an Oscar as the highest honour.
Some actors have been lucky enough to bag multiple wins, such as Katherine Hepburn, who holds the record with four ‘Best Actress’ accolades from the Academy. Others have waited their whole careers to finally win a coveted prize, such as The Sound of Music star Christopher Plummer, who finally won his first Oscar when he was 82 after starring in 2012’s Beginners.
However, a handful of actors have been lucky enough to win Oscars before they’ve even reached adolescence, such as Tatum O’Neal, who won ‘Best Supporting Actress’ when she was just 10 years old following her incredible performance in Peter Bogdanovich’s Paper Moon. Despite becoming the youngest Oscar winner in history, O’Neal is not the youngest nominee.
Several children have been nominated for acting awards at the Oscars, with the youngest being Justin Henry, who was just eight years old when he was recognised for his performance in Kramer vs Kramer. The movie, directed by Robert Benton, stars Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep as a couple in the midst of divorce, winning both actors Oscars for their incredible performances.
Henry, who went on to star in Sixteen Candles and a few other small roles, alongside founding the Slamdunk Film Festival, was nominated for ‘Best Supporting Actor’. Sadly, the young actor lost out to Melvyn Douglas for his performance in Hal Ashby’s Being There.
While Henry is the youngest nominee overall, the title of youngest female Oscar nominee goes to Quvenzhane Wallis for her role in 2012’s Beasts of the Southern Wild. She was just nine years old when she was nominated for ‘Best Actress’, missing out on making Academy Award history when she was beaten to the post by Jennifer Lawrence for Silver Linings Playbook. However, Lawrence’s win at the age of 22 made her one of the youngest ‘Best Actress’ winners of all time.
Similarly, Jackie Cooper was also nine when he was nominated for an Oscar in 1931 for his performance in the Joseph L. Mankiewicz- penned comedy Skippy. Although he lost out to Lionel Barrymore for his role in A Free Soul, Cooper remains the youngest person to have been nominated for ‘Best Actor’.
